Why must personal trainers be so expensive? Geez, wouldn't it be nice to get half price or something on a one-on-one fitness session? Maybe you can. Just split the training fees with a friend. FitSugar tells all about this affordable idea. Read here for more.

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Grocery costs are a bit crazy right now. I was forgiving of it when fuel costs were also outlandish ... after all, food has to be transported so fuel costs directly effect grocery costs. But now the fuel costs are down and grocery costs are staying high. I don't know about you, but I think it's totally unfair.

In these tight economic times, we all have to be penny-pinchers. Since meat is one of the most expensive grocery items to buy, it only makes sense to cut back. Beans and tofu spring to mind as meat-replacements -- they're inexpensive, filling and high in protein. Another great option -- though not high in protein -- is mushrooms.

Swapping mushrooms for meat isn't only economical, it's healthful, lower in calories, filling and completely tasty. Try them in lasagna or grill up a marinated portobello as a burger. A recent study found that when participants ate meals where mushrooms replaced beef, they consumed an average of 420 fewer calories. Great news if you're trying to lose weight!

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With today's economy, most people are feeling a budget crunch. Even though the cost of gas has come down, grocery costs stay as high as ever. But high prices at the check-out counter don't mean you have to eat low-cost, low-nutrition foods. Divine Caroline has a list of 20 healthful foods for under one dollar.

• Oats. High in heart-healthy soluble fiber, oats are a quick and tasty meal. A dollar will get you more than a week's worth of breakfasts.
  
• Eggs. About a dollar for a half dozen, eggs -- once given a bad rap for high cholesterol -- are now back in the good nutrition fold.
  
• Kale. Roughly a dollar a bunch, kale and other dark leafy greens are packed with nutrition.
  
• Potatoes. As long as you don't fry them or slather them in fatty condiments, potatoes can be a part of a nutritious diet. Sweet potatoes have the added benefit of beta carotene.
  
• Apples. Most varieties are very inexpensive and can satisfy a sweet tooth with their crunchy goodness.
  
• Nuts. A great source of healthy fats, nuts might seem expensive, but since their portion size is small, many varieties (such as peanuts, walnuts and almonds) land well under a dollar per serving.
  
• Bananas. High in potassium and fiber, bananas are a nutritious and inexpensive food.
  
• Garbanzo Beans. Beans, in general, are a healthful and ridiculously-cheap food. Plus, they're a great protein-rich replacement for high-cost meat. Garbanzos are a versatile and healthful choice.
  
• Broccoli. Delicious raw or cooked into a wide variety of meals, broccoli is well under a dollar per serving.
  

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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been trying to make a difference in the nutritional quality of the UK's school lunches for years. Now, Oliver is focusing on another area that needs improvement -- the typical British home. He worries that the tough economic times are further degrading the quality of food served at home.

When Oliver was first zeroing in on school lunches and teaching cafeteria workers to prepare fresher, more nutritious meals, he didn't just encounter resistance from kids. In one South Yorkshire town, cameras caught parents of school children shoving burgers and fries at their kids through the school's fence. So now Oliver is working in that town and trying to teach families how to eat healthfully on a tight budget.

Oliver makes a good point: Historically, when money was tight, people had to become more resourceful -- growing their own produce, using cheaper cuts of meat, and so forth. Now, however, people have the option of buying $0.79 boxes of macaroni and cheese or value meals at fast food joints. Have you seen that recent commercial for KFC? The one that challenges people to buy the ingredients for a bucket of chicken for less than they'll sell it to you? That's just the point the Oliver is making -- when convenience and cost pair together, some people will let nutrition slide.

If you're trying to lower your grocery costs, try these tips for eating healthfully on a budget.

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We can't ignore the fact that the economy is in a bit of a slump. And whether or not we recognize it, this affects nearly every aspect of our lives -- including our eating habits. During times of financial hardship, it's a natural reaction to stock up on foods that are processed and full of preservatives, but our healthy habits shouldn't be the first thing to go when things get a bit tough.

At least that's what nutritionist Jane Clarke says in her weekly column for The Daily Mail. She offers a few tips for reducing waste -- and ultimately cost -- when you're shopping for the family:

• Buy sliced, fresh whole wheat bread and freeze what you don't use right away.
• Add cheap, healthy ingredients like beans to your meat dishes to make the meat go further.
• Buy only as much fresh fruit as you know you can consume, and stock up on frozen fruit instead.
• In fruits do go limp, cook them (or freeze them) right away instead of throwing them out.

How do you stretch your grocery dollars?

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No, organic soda is not the way to go. The only way to go when it comes to soda is to skip it altogether.

Organic soda, like all soda, contains zero nutrients -- and a bigger price tag. A six-pack of the organic stuff will cost you about $5, and yes, it's made without high fructose syrup (clearly, a bonus) but each can contains 120 calories -- that's 20 more than a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola Classic.

Cutting back on nutritionally-void foods and drinks is the best way to go, says Prevention magazine. So ditch the soda and any other organic junk food that temps your taste buds. These items might be better for the planet, but they aren't any better for you.

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I've never been a string bikini girl. I prefer the athletic two-piece swimwear scene. One day, I'm sure I'll ditch this preference too. When I do, I might opt for the little black, expresso, or olive swimdress by Patti Compton. It's a piece for women who have outgrown anything with strings but aren't ready for a suit that ages them prematurely.

This swimdress, featured in the August 2008 Oprah Magazine, combines a full bathing suit and a slip cut with a flirty side slit. Coverage with an attitude is what this suit offers -- no wires, cups, or sucking in required.

Start saving now. This little dress will cost you $265.

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Our family is saving on gas costs by driving less. There are the unavoidable excursions -- trips to school, work, the grocery store -- but when we can manage it, we stay home. We just can't afford to drive all over town. I know you can relate.

I must say the best slim-down we've made on the driving front has been cutting down on eating out. Once an almost twice-weekly habit, we rarely dine out anymore. It all started when we realized the following:

• The four of us can never agree on a place to eat.

• Two kids with short attention spans rarely make for a relaxing restaurant experience.

• Our seven-year-old who begs to eat out typically complains of a belly ache once his tummy is full.
  

• We hardly ever exit a restaurant without spending $50 on food and drinks.

• Eating out can be a terribly unhealthy endeavor and we aren't even sure opting for the healthiest fare guarantees a nutritious meal.
  

I don't know about you, but I love flipping through the pages of Cooking Light magazine (or, really, any gourmet food magazine). The pictures are gorgeous and inspiring, and the recipes are well written -- even I haven't managed to botch any of their recipes. However, while the pictures and dishes send me into a state of bliss, there is something I don't like -- the ingredient lists that run the length of my arm and cost that, plus a leg.

For special occasions, I'm willing to spend a bit extra for special ingredients. However, if I'm looking for an everyday recipe that I can make on a weekly basis, I don't want to have to keep purchasing a huge variety of expensive ingredients. I want a recipe that looks and tastes like a fancy dish, doesn't pack a ton of calories, and doesn't blow my budget every time I make it. Is that so much to ask?

I generally try making the recipe as it's written the first time, and remove or substitute something for the expensive ingredients after I've tasted it. It's not a perfect system, but it works for me. Do you have tricks to keep costs down on would-be cost-prohibitive recipes? Or do you just bite the bullet and make the dishes will all ingredients listed? Or, do you just find healthy recipes that are inexpensive to make in the first place?

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As it turns out, it isn't worth a pound of cure, according to the Washington Post.

I was more than a little disheartened to read the cover story in the Health section of yesterday's paper. Apparently, as the story points out with examples, an ounce of prevention is worth a whole lot less than a pound of cure despite political campaign banter claiming otherwise. Not even close, in fact. The scales are actually tipped the other way. It's cheaper to let people get sick. Smoking cessation, colonoscopies for guys in their 60s and childhood vaccinations are among exceptions.

The article mentions at the very end a point that I think is bigger than dollars and cents. Paying for good health is an investment. And a good one. I wonder how any attempt to calculate the cost of prevention and measure it up against cure can be absolutely accurate. The examples in the Post are convincing. Giving a bunch of people cholesterol-reducing drugs in an effort to prevent heart disease that will develop in only a fraction of them clearly requires a heap o' dough for prescriptions. But if life is all about how much things cost and that leads to deciding whether our health -- and by extension our very lives -- are worth the expense, what's the point anyway? Have we really reached a point at which money is more valuable than life?

Wow. I think our society needs a colonoscopy. On second thought, we can save the money. I think we can skip ahead to diagnosing cancer. The good news: I believe this type can be cured. What do you think? What's the cure? Am I wrong? Do you disagree with the diagnosis?

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Buying organic foods at your local grocery store can get pretty pricey, because I know you're filling up a third of your cart with veggies. Right?

Noshtopia has seven ways to cut costs on your organic purchases, which could help your budget, your waistline, and your overall help. Below are the three I found most helpful, but feel free to check out all seven of their suggestions here!

• Hit the local farmers' market. You're buying direct, so it's generally cheaper.
  
• Check store brands in places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. These businesses often offer a store brand and organic version for similar prices to conventional brand names.
  
• Shop near closing time. Because of the lack of preservatives used in organics, they are often more prone to spoiling. Therefore, grocers might mark those items down near the end of the day to move them off the shelf.

Got a suggestion that's worked for you? Please share in the comments!

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Do you buy it? Do you believe that healthy people really truly cost the government more than unhealthy people do? Bethany broke this news last week when she recapped a Dutch study that found it's not smokers and it's the obese costing the government loads of money. It's the thin, fit, trim, and healthy folks who are bad for the health care system.

How exactly are healthy folks breaking the bank? They're doing it by living longer. Because their lives are longer, it costs more to care for them. Maybe this is true. But I tend to think it's still more costly to smoke and carry a lot of extra weight. It may not cost money, but it costs time spent living. For me, dying sooner than I'd like is quite a price to pay.

Check out these study facts: Healthy folks live about 84 years. Smokers live 77. The obese live 80. Care for the healthy group runs at about $417,000, from age 20 on. The cost of care for obese people was $371,000, and for smokers, about $326,000. Other fun facts: Cancer incidence, except for lung cancer, was the same in all three groups, obese people had the most diabetes, and healthy people had the most strokes.

Reacting to this news, professor of health politics at Johns Hopkins University Patrick Basham says: "This throws a bucket of cold water onto the idea that obesity is going to cost trillions of dollars."

What is your reaction?

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As 2007 gives way to 2008, many people are going to resolve to finally lose weight, and, tired of unsuccessful diets, many of them will sign up for one of the popular dieting plans out there. But diets are expensive. Want to know just how expensive? The Consumerist recently looked into this -- here's what the popular diets cost per month on average:

• Atkins Diet: $402
  
• Diet To Go (1600 Calories): $524
• Diet To Go (1200 Calories): $468
• Dr Siegal Cookie Diet: $224
  
• Dr Sears Zone Diet : $371
  
• Jenny Craig: $551
  
• MediFast: $275
  
• NutriSystem: $294
  
• Ornish Diet: $299
  
• Slim Fast: $310
  
• South Beach Diet: $314
  
• Sonoma Diet: $274
  
• Weight Watchers: $387

Wow -- that's a lot of moola, and some of them don't even include the cost of food. What do you think -- is it worth it? Or are we being ripped off by the diet industry?

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Some brides are saying "no thanks" to wedding cakes these days. It's not because of the calories, the sugar, or the fat dripping from these decadent displays. It's the expense that has them ditching tradition.

As the costs of weddings soar, some couples are cutting corners by ditching the real cake and using a replica made of foam. With cakes costing an average of $543, the $100 foam knock-off becomes quite a steal.

Trade the real deal for a fake cake, and no one will even know a switch has been made. The fake cake looks completely authentic and even has a special compartment tucked in the back for hiding that special first piece. After the bride and groom take their tastes, the cake gets whisked away and guests are served something less pricey.

What's your take on the fake cake?

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Now that we're right smack in the thick of the holiday season it's as important as ever to balance your enjoyment of holiday goodies with maintenance of your waistline. Although holiday weight gain is generally very small (as little as 1 pound per year) the problem is that it is also generally very resilient and doesn't go away. And all those individual pounds are piling up not only on our bodies but in the bills we owe -- they're flat out costing us money. Here's an idea of just how much obesity costs us:

• $800 per person for missed work
• $275 million in jet fuel costs from carrying the extra weight
• $7.72 per meal in costs accrued from super-sizing fast food dinners
• $180 per year in taxes
• Unhealthy foods (sweets and fats) have gotten 14% cheaper, but healthy ones (produce and dairy) have gone up by more than 50% since 1980
  

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